Lismore Garden Club News

Have you been promising yourself to install a garden arch and plant that much loved climber? An arch with a lovely flowering climber can become a thing of beauty and a real focal feature in your garden. You will need to choose between the many designs available and at least three types of material.

We had to make the decision recently in our own garden. The plastic ones were ruled out immediately as they didnt meet the criteria of strength and durability. The most eye catching is undoubtedly a lovely timber arc, however, upkeep becomes an issue. The third type is the nice metal ones that can be seen in your local hardware store. We chose a sturdy, locally manufactured, galvanised one which is a decent size and has the potential to last for many years with zero upkeep.

We placed the arch in position, levelled it with a spirit level and drove in a 1800mm star picket at each corner and tied it with heavy gauge fence wire. To finish the job we sprayed the black star pickets with a silver frost to match the colour of the arch. This simple way of installation allows one to relocate the arch at a later date if required.

Finally: Fragrance should be a major consideration when deciding on a plant for the garden.